STRUDWICK

Strudwick, a lamb who has been warned about wolves, dresses up in a wolf costume and, following somewhat in the path of Little Red Riding Hood, goes to visit his grandfather to see if he will be fooled by the disguise. On the way, he runs into the wolf, who is dressed as a sheep. Strudwick decides to ``spare'' him: ``I prefer my mutton aged.'' This parody bristles with originality, written in an unpredictable style that makes every word ring. The action is set in collage, which looks more like a garage sale: an oil painting, artificial flowers, cotton balls (for wool), steel wool (for a beard), glitter, photographs, felt, upholstery (for the woods). The sheep, the wolf, and the supporting cast are loose- lined cartoon characters who have been cut out and pasted into this collage, with a puppet-show effect. In the midst of it all, and with apparent effortlessness, Kraus turns his heroes into living personalities. In the end, the text and the art are transformed into parts of the same whole—zipper, Elvis stamp, funny character, joke, well-turned phrase. Each element invites readers to follow a different orbit—around the same center. (Picture book. 5+)